New Forum Member Seeks 1993 VFR750 advice

Hello,

I have just signed up to the forum and I am looking forward to possibly becoming a VFR owner!

I am running a motorcycle travel site called BestBikingRoads.com which some of you may have seen but that's not why I am here!

Tomorrow I am going to look at a 1993 VFR 750, a bike which was a dream from my youth

Now I am interested in possibly buying one as a spare bike as it looks like very good value.

I would like to know if possible, a list of the kind of things that I should be on the look out for when inspecting the bike, as I am keen to avoid having to do lots of expensive work on it immediately after buying.

Any tips appreciated

Many Thanks

David

 

bring a voltmeter with you and test voltage at the battery posts while bike is idling. Rev it up to 4000 rpm or so and see what it reads at DC voltage, should be at least 13.5 to 14 +.
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General inspection of body work for cracks and broken tabs, Its an older bike so its gona have some issues depending on mileage. Look at the steering stops on the lower tripple for dings meaning it hit the frame stops fairly hard...Look at the wheels for scrapes and true-ness...just common sense stuff really. Leaks? etc.... Good luck and PICTURES WE NEED THEM!!!!

 

Thanks, do I understand from your message that the alternator is a known weakness on this model? If so, any idea of the approximate cost of replacement?

Also, how would I quickly access the battery? Is it just a case of removing the seat with the key? (the current owner might not like it if I start pulling his bike to pieces too much
)

 

The Regulator/Rectifier is notoriously bad. When they fail they either undercharge the battery and leave you stranded or overcharge the battery and leave you stranded. The stator is not really a problem. The battery is under the seat. It doesn't hurt to look under there for the tool kit anyways.

 

Thanks, imagining that the regulator/rectifier is faultly, approximately how much is a replacement item? (just for negotiating )

Also, is the standard rear shock rebuildable, I guess that will need attention.

Thanks

David

 

You can get a stock replacement for around $200 to $300 for a new OEM unit (guessing here).

Am not sure if the rear shock is rebuildable. The guy to speak to on that is Jamie.

Daugherty Motorsports - Motorcycle Suspension Performance and Modification

 

Thanks for the info, I'm hoping it's a nice example, could be a nice classic Honda for not much cash

Will let you know

 

Good luck on your purchase. If you buy it, put up some pictures!

 

Bike was a bit scruffier than I would have liked but there didn't seem to be any problems apart from worn brake pads and some bad fuel, so I haggled with the guy and managed to get a 1993 bike in Green with 50,000 kms for 700 Euros.

It actually seems to ride better than I even imagined it would, so I am happy.

It needs a bit of tidying up, but here are a couple of pictures:



I checked the charging system before I bought and all seemed to be fine and no obvious crash damage (just some superficial scratching and it looks like there might have been a low speed fall or two), price was the single most important factor, so actually on the positive side, the face that it was a bit scratched made it cheaper!

Thanks to you for your tips, I'm sure I'll be posting a bit here and there from now on.

David

 

Sweet! I like the 3rd gen and truly lust after the '93 in pearl white. I like the green too, but we are just friends. It's not a lustful thing.

Now that the bike is yours, pull off the tail section and check the connectors to the R/R. If they are not corroded or burnt looking your are good for now. It should be on the left side.

 

LOL!

I am happy with the bike, I also like the pearl white, however, actually a dark green 3rd gen model is actually the model that I always liked most, so I lucked out a bit there to say the least.

I'll have a look at RR over the coming days, need to rearrnage the garage a bit now!

David

 

Nice Score! I been to Brussels in the 90s. I like the green you got better than the white ones/if you go for new fork springs and a new rear shock you will be amazed at the transformation...Shocks have to be rebuilt over their life, so when you buy a high dollar one, keep that in mind. It will always be serviceable.

Cheers./

 

Hi there,

Thanks for the suggestions. Probably fixing the suspension is not somoething that I would do directly but what kind of shocks and springs do you like/use?

David

 

I bought a Fox shock back in 1995 and its on its second re-build. Race-Tech fork springs with their Gold Valves...braided brake and a clutch line would be a nice thing to do. bleed your brakes and clean the calipers when the pads are out with warm water and dishwasher soap. Dont go crazy using brake cleaners as they are hard on seals...Simple Green is a nice degreaser though and bio-friendly...

 

Thanks for the tips about the shocks and springs, I'll revisit that when I have some more free cash

Another quick question, I've noticed that on low beam only one of the headlights is on, but on full beam both are, is this what's supposed to happen or do I have a bulb that needs replacing?

Many Thanks

David

 

You have a bulb that needs replacing, both should work on both high and low beam. At least that is how the aussie models are.
Good score by the way.

 

In European models only other low beam works, in high both. There is a missing lead in the connector to the bulb. It is easy to replace the connector with the general H4 connector from car accessory shop and connect also the other light to work on low beam. However here in Finland we have to use lights at the daytime, so i added a switch to be able to connect the second light in the nighttime when more light is actually needed.

 

Thanks. so, my progress so far

I bled the front brake and changed the oil and the oil filter, I've also cleaned it up a bit, I'm waiting for some touch-up paint to arrive from the dealer and I'll try to tidy up the scratches a bit then and make the bike look a bit nicer.

I've also been trying to bleed the clutch, but loads of air keeps on coming out almost endlessly, I've decided to tape the clutch lever back to the bar overnight and come back and try to improve it again tomorrow, very strange.

I tried to start the bike today and it turned over but would not fire, at first I thought 'Oh know, I've bought a dud!' but then after almost flattening the battery, I realised the kill switch was on. So the engine turns over on the starter even when the kill switch is on, what's with that! Anyway I was actually very happy when I realised that was the only barrier to starting, and afterwards the bike started first time. I love the sound of the bike and the power is not too much and the stability excellent, I'm very happy!

I had a look at the chain and it seems to be serviceable. The bike has clearly not had much use and I think there is quite a bit of life left in it but I looked in the service manual (downloaded from link on internet!) and it seems that I might need some kind of special tool to adjust the chain. I suppose this is probably included in the original toolkit but sadly that cupboard is bare.

Can one of you nice people suggest what I could use or the most cost effective replacement?

Many Thanks

David

 

On a bike that old, i'd suggest you drain and replace fork oil after washing them out.

 

At least Honda was thoughtful back then and provided you with drain bolts on each leg! To do the job properly as dah Ice-Hunchin sed would be to drop each leg and totally disassemble it, use lots of parts cleaner on the inner tubes as there would be tones of crap in there. Mine were nasty, my 04 bike, I swapped the fork oil out and the stuff that came out didnt smell the like the intestines of a whale! Go figure!!! (not dirty either.)

If you wana get medieval on that single sided swing arm, you could use a crusty long screwdriver and knock the eccentric down, or it may be up? think its down...its trial and error, very easy to figure out, anywhoOOOOOOoooo...Some will accuse me of horrific spelling and destroying precious japanese motorcycles by not using the designated tool kits (i have used both methods on my own bike as well as ducartis, and triumphs - but i use the correct tool on my own cause i dont wana have nightmares):tongue: some will even say that i call people such as squirrel by his German name...Let them nay Sayers eat cake, cause I dont give a RATS ARsE....Cheers